Top 360 Cameras for under $300 (Updated for 2019)

My top pick for a 360 camera under $300: Insta360 One

It wasn’t too long ago that taking a 360 degree photo required a very expensive rig along with a high-end DSRL camera and an advanced editing suite. Creating 360 videos was even harder, if not impossible for anyone not willing to spend days in editing and thousands on equipment. Thankfully, we’ve come very far in a very short amount of time and now you can shoot great quality 360 photos and videos instantly using technology costing under $300.

Even in the past year the price of 360 cameras has tumbled, with new devices coming onto the market all the time. Quality is rising and huge companies like YouTube and Facebook are backing the medium. If you are interested in buying your first 360 camera, but don’t want to spend more than $300, then there are already plenty of great options available.

Best 360 Cameras for Under $300

#1. Insta360 One

The Insta360 One is one of the newest 360 cameras to be released, and it packs in more features than any other 360 camera under $300. As well as shooting 4K 360 video, the tiny camera can shoot 23 megapixel photos and livestream in 4K. What makes the Insta360 One special is its video editing modes, which allow you to manipulate 360 video in unique ways.

One of these modes is called Freecapture and allows you to create stunning, cinematic flat videos using just the Isnta360 App. Other cameras that have a similar feature are hundreds of dollars more expensive. I’ve owned the Insta60 One for several months and it’s one of the most innovative 360 camera to ever be released, and certainly a bargain at just under $300.

#2 Samsung Gear 360 2017 Edition

The Second generation Samsung Gear 360 introduces a 4K 360 video upgrade, a complete redesign and the ablity t livestream to Facebook and YouTube in 360 degrees. Samsung has gone to great lengths to make their latest 360 camera as user friendly as possible, and they have largely succeeded. Unlike many other 360 cameras, the Gear 360 2017 is easy to use with bug free software. It can shoot 4K 360 video which is the minimum standard for good quality, and while there are other cameras that can outshine it, few are so cheap. This camera is now an absolute steal at under $200, so if you want an easy to use camera to begin your 360 journey, this is a top choice.

Samsung Gear 360

The Samsung Gear 360 was probably the best 360 camera for under $300 back in 2016. A year later it’s been overtaken by newcomers, but the original Gear 360 is still wort considering. This dual lens camera can shoot almost 4K quality full 360 video as well as 30-megapixel stills. The aperture of the lenses is a very good f2.0 and there is a range of manual controls. The video and photo quality is consistently bright and clear, beating many other 360 cameras that are hundreds of dollars more expensive. This camera is particularly good at taking 360 photos, and even over a year after its release no other 360 camera has surpassed it in this regard.

The aperture of the lenses is a very good f2.0 and there is a range of manual controls. The video and photo quality is consistently bright and clear, beating many other 360 cameras that are hundreds of dollars more expensive.

One downside to this camera is that it’s dedicated app (required for manual controls) is only compatible with Samsung smartphones, meaning anyone else will not be able to use the camera to its maximum capability.If you do own a Samsung smartphone and are looking for an affordable 360 camera, there really is no competition.

Price: If you are an Amazon Prime member you get a 35% discount off the standard price of a Samsung Gear 360 – an absolute bargain!

Ricoh Theta S

If you don’t have a Samsung smartphone but are still looking for a great, cheap 360 camera, then the next best thing is the Ricoh Theta S. Officially the most popular 360 camera, the Ricoh Theta S has hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon. The 2 lens camera can shoot full 360 degree photo and video with no blind spots. People often comment on the quality of the photos being extremely good for such a small camera.

Video is where this camera is slightly lacking. Quality is limited to 1980 x1080, which is not good enough for HD when shooting in 360 degrees (360 video requires higher resolution that normal video).

The Ricoh Theta S is fully compatible with all android and iOS smartphones and the official app allows you to control all aspects of the camera. You can also share your 360 media on social media instantly using the app and you can even live stream 360 video to Facebook.

Ricoh Theta SC

The sequel to the Ricoh Theta S, this even cheaper version keeps all the best bits of the original but ditches some of the extras.

Thet Ricoh Theta SC keeps the same video and photo resolution as its bigger brother, in fact it’s almost identical in every way! What you loose is the ability to live stream 360 video, as well as a shorter max recording time. If you are not interested in the lost features, then there is no reason you shouldn’t go for this cheaper version, which is again compatible with all types of smartphones.

Insta360 Nano

This innovative device turns your iPhone into a 360 camera! The tiny Insta360 Nano utilises the power of the iPhone so that it doesn’t require any internal software itself, making it one of the cheapest 360 cameras available.

The Insta360 Nano plugs straight into your iPhone’s thunderbolt port.When turned on, the cameras dedicated app automatically opens and turns your iPhone into a fully fledged 360 camera. You can shoot 360 video and photo just like any other camera and instantly share it on social media.

The video resolution is lower than some other 360 cameras, but good enough for sharing on social media. You can also live-stream 360 video from anywhere you can get a signal (although you may want to use wifi).

If you have an iPhone and want to get into shooting 360 photos and video, I can’t think of a better or cheaper camera to help you test the waters.

LG 360 Cam

The LG 360 Cam is a 2K 360 camera that is compatible with all android phones, it has 2 lenses and a dedicated app for manual control.

One of the cheapest 360 cameras available, the LG 360 cam packs a lot of punch. 2K video is good enough for sharing 360 videos on social media and the high-quality photos are colourful and sharp. The camera received generally positive reviews, particularly for its affordability.

While the LG 360 cam does not have quite the range of features as some other cameras on this page, it is the cheapest by some way and possibly the best value.